Margie was shaking with fear as they ascended a dark, narrow set of stairs. They passed closed doors on two landings and then stopped at the top. There was another door and the man opened it with his keys. The door swung open and they entered.
Bright, burning lanterns sat at each corner of the large, covered veranda. The light was reflected on a finely polished, wooden floor surrounding a plush, soft, maroon carpet. The roof was vaulted with thick, heavy beams crossing under it. A four foot high, wooden wall surrounded the space with a four or five foot wide gap between it and the sloping roof above, which extended another four or five feet beyond the edge of the wall. Armando brought his captive to the center of the open space and then pointed to the floor and snapped his fingers. Margie
